2018 Yasukuni Shrine Cherry Blossoms
Photographs are great tools to document history. One picture can show so much. When I visited Yasukuni Shrine in 2018, little did I know that would be the case for me. I captured a scene that would soon disappear. What was it?
In front of the shrine is a major road, Yasukuni-Dori. It is lined with cherry blossoms. From one of its crossings, you could see Tokyo Skytree. It was a splendid sight in spring when the trees bloomed. And when people crossed, it was a great scene.
The first time I took the shot I was over the moon. It was classic Tokyo. I thought I would capture it during succeeding cherry blossom seasons.
I didn’t make it to Yasukuni in 2019. Then covid hit, and I didn’t go in 2020 or 2021. A building appeared between the crossing and the tower at that time. And that is a real pity as far as I’m concerned. We’ll never see that fabulous view again. That loss makes me sad.
It was a real loss. The scene was classic Tokyo. I’ve never seen the photo on the internet so I wonder how many people saw it over the years? Maybe others didn’t rate it as highly as I did.
Anyway, it shows the importance of photography, it documents changes. That’s why I love taking photos. I’ve grabbed a piece of Tokyo history.
The rest of my visit that year to the shrine was nothing special. I only managed to take some typical cherry blossom photos. Well, I liked them, but they were nothing special. Still, they will join my collection of how Tokyo once looked.
Read my main article about Yasukuni Shrine here. If you have been there to enjoy its cherry blossoms, I’d love to hear about your experience. Please leave comments and questions below!
Photo gear for this shoot
- Camera body: Fujifilm X-T2
- Fujifilm Lenses: XF 16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
More cherry blossom articles
External related websites
- Yasukuni Shrine (official website)